Toy figures which include movement features such as the ability to have appendages or other body portions moved in response to user input are well known in the art. Notsurprisingly, practitioner's in the art have developed a virtually endless variety of articulated toy figures having movement capabilities. One particularly successful movement feature toy figure was known generally in the market place under the name "Rockem Sockem Robot Game". The basic features of this game included a pair of virtually identical robot-like toy figures, each of which included a head movable between a raised or extended position and a normal position. A spring latch mechanism within the toy figure allowed the head to be pushed downwardly upon the body against the force of the internal spring and latched by moving the head forward. In response to an impact to the toy robot head, the latch mechanism released and the head of the figures rose abruptly. Each robot figure also included a pair of pivotally supported arms coupled to an internal gear mechanism and a toggle button on the toy figures back torso surface. The pivotal arms were coupled to the rear toggle button by a gear drive mechanism. In its anticipated play activity, each user grasped one of the toy robots in a manner enabling the manipulation of the rear toggle button with the object of moving the pivotal arms against the opponent so-as-to strike a blow to the head of the opponents robot. In response to a sufficient blow to the head particularly from the front, latch released and the head sprung upwardly.
Still other toy figures with movement capability have been provided which are generally directed to activities such as combat, boxing or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,987 issued to Djordjevic sets forth TOY BOXER ARMS for use on a doll having a torso. Each arm is pivotally supported by an inwardly extending shaft which in turn is coupled to a spring support. A pair of pivotally supported levers are coupled to the shaft supporting the arms by a flexible string or the like. Movement of each lever moves the dolls arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,097 issued to Miller et al. sets forth an ACTION TOY AND GAME having a hand-grip handle which supports a multiply articulated extendible member and which includes a thumb receiving end proximate the user. The outer end of the multiply articulated member is supported within a hand puppet. The movement of the user's thumb against the thumb piece of the multiply articulated member causes the puppets arms to move.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,610 issued to Paoletti sets forth an ELECTRIC BOXING GAME having two opposed doll boxers movably mounted on a support surface. Each boxer has swingable arms and a punch received indicator. Electric or computer control means operate at least one boxer so-as-to provide body movement and arm movements against the other boxer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,088,510 issued to Frasca sets forth a TOY having a pair of puppet-like dolls supporting articulated arms and moveable upon a play surface. A downwardly extending member passes through apertures in the play surface and is coupled to a pistol grip-like handle suitable for grasping by each of the opposed players. The players manipulate their respective dolls and implement blows by squeezing the trigger mechanism on the handle to move the arms of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,623,329 issued to DiLeva sets forth an EXTENSIBLE DOLL having arm and leg appendages which include telescoping extendible members.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,870 issued to Lang sets forth a GROWING FIGURE TOY having a soft extendible outer body supported by an extendible internal frame. As the frame extends, the body is stretched and the toy appears to "grow".
U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,112 issued to Sapkus et al. sets forth an ANIMATING DEVICE FOR FIGURE TOYS having a pistol-like hand grip which is swingably connected to a figure toy. The figure toy may be moved in a swinging fashion to simulate baseball hitting or other similar activities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,552 issued to Rhodes sets forth an ANIMATED FIGURE TOY HAVING A TELESCOPING APPENDAGE which includes an upper torso provided with a neck opening. An elongated neck and head assembly are received within the opening and reciprocate to move the head relative to the torso.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,166 issued to Renger et al. sets forth a CAP FIRING ANIMATED FIGURE TOY having positionable appendages and upper and lower torso portions pivotally interconnected with a spring member. The rear of the torso is configured for retaining sound emitting devices such as a plurality of caps and a mechanism including a spring biased hammer member is provided within the torso for actuating one of the caps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,367 issued to MacBain sets forth an ANIMATED FIGURE TOY having an upper torso with a trunnion member coupled for rotatable movement. The trunnion includes hinge couplers connectable to mating hinge portions on the interior of the front and rear halves of the upper torso. A spring is positioned beneath the trunnion for co-action with an actuating post sliding captively within the trunnion for limited movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,807 issued to Sasakawa et al. sets forth an BOXER DOLL AND BOXING GAME APPARATUS EMPLOYING SAME having a base upon which a pair of boxing figures are supported. A pneumatic mechanism is supported within each of the figures which is operative to move the boxers arms in a punch-like action. The pneumatic mechanisms within each doll are operated by a pair of squeezable bulbs held by the participants.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,219 issued to Price sets forth an ACTION CHARACTER FIGURE which includes a torso portion, a rotatable arm portion on the torso and a leg portion which is retractable into the lower end of the torso. The arm is connected to the leg in the interior of the torso such that rotation of the arm causes the leg portion to be retracted into the torso against the force of an internal spring. Release of the spring causes the arm to be rotated in a reverse direction and the leg to be resiliently extended.
While the foregoing prior art devices to some extent improved the art and have in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for ever more interesting, amusing and entertaining articulated toy figures having movement capability.